Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-02-24
JOHN HOUSTON.
An Old Typo Who Has Temporarily
Planted His Banner In Butte.

flan(eO HIS banner In Butte
So, John Houston, the TIMEs's first
foreman, is city editor of the Butte
Miner? Well we'll! How people
do change aho+4e, 10 be sure!
Houston came to Wood River at
the same time the TINES man did,
and, like him, was not surcharged
with this worlds goods, having only
about 30 cents, while the TINES man
had lit.le-type worth just about that
many dollars, and very little pocket
money,
Houston proclaimed that he was
about to start paper, and w. T.
Riley, agent and part owner of the
HALEY Town Company ION whom all
who came here at that time had
"soft thing" as he was giving small
fortunes away every day., offered
him HIS pick Of two lots on Mair
street. Houston chose that on which
Jos. Bury's house now stands for one,
and the lot between Murphy's saloon
and the butcher shop for the other.
| He then stood off an honest teamster
for three loads of poles, and braced
another for four loads of logs. With
the poles he made what was known
rs and called "corral," and with the
logs built the house that still stands
next to John Murphy's. For year
or so this only had canvas roof and
no floor; but that did not prevent
Houston from renting it at $50 per
mouth, and collecting the rent with
the utmost regularity-in advance.
AS to the "corral," it never had any
roof; but after a while the printer
boys "cabbaged" few empty grain
sacks from Jos. Morrill's, which they
cut open and nailed over their hunks
and these and an arnful Of boughs were
the only night shelter they ever had
until after snow covered the ground
although they did buy two double
bedsteads, four chairs, sheet-iror
stove, etc, with their wages, which
from the first were promptly and reg
ulnrly paid when due.
Early the same summer, Houston
got the lot in the rear of the expires.
office from w. 7. Riley in some way
and in some equally mysterious wa,
had the log house built that still
stands on the lot. This wss at one,
rented to AL. Sterritt and his partner
Captain Davis, for $35 a month, j,
advance so that, what with the rem
paid him by the printers tor sleeping
in the corral, and the rent from hi
houses, Houston soon found himsel
3 in receipt of an income of over $40
per month. That WAS more than b
could stand ; and, going on tear, b
disposed of all his property, collecte
the remnant of wages due him, an
,r WALKED from HALEY to Butte.
A few months later Houston Wake
It back to Haley, resumed his place O
the TINES, began saving his none
It again, and seemed to have settle
down for good, when he got on al
AZ other tear, threw up his $35 wee
lob, and walked to Blackfoot and on
- the East. The next and last heard {
, him he was in charge of the SITS
printing Office in Madison, Wi
n. Now that he has got so close to Ha
ley it is a good two.to-one bet that
,n will come back soon, to see show v
70 are getting along."~ AS he seldo
rides he must have walked into But
70 from some distan point.
Mr.. Houston is an Al printer vi
IL has had full charge of some OF t
he largest Offices in the country, besid
owning book and job and newspsp
80 Offices himself. He is thoroul
at printer and journalist, and an non<
able, upright "white" man, who wou
'e scorn to do a mean act; and il
70 would only settle down for go
ar somewhere would soon make
Of mark in the world.